Stark Contrast
by Shimmer-chan
Summary: Aria Ravenwrath's life has been destroyed. She will not stop until her work is finished. - Only vaguely based on some books. Thus: AU, no pairings.


A/N- School project. Based on scenes from _Bless Me, Ultima, Naruto, _and_ The Odyssey_ respectively.

"Stark Contrast"

Aria Ravenwrath kneeled silently over a body. It was the body of the only grandmother she had ever known. She had been taken by death and left Aria alone. And Aria could do nothing but weep. It wasn't her time yet, cried her soul. Her grandmother had plenty of life left in her, had it not been stolen by criminals out for blood. The criminals were a part of an organization she had heard mentioned in passing. She never thought that that group of murderers would steal her grandmother away. Her grandmother, who had taken her in after she had been orphaned by war. Aria struck the ground, splitting the skin of her knuckles. Her grandmother had been a healer, and had done no wrong to them. And yet, they brutally murdered her anyway. Aria raised her head in a silent scream to the heavens, demanding vengeance. Aria dragged herself up, the fronts of her shins soaked in the blood of an innocent. And she could feel nothing but anguish.

Aria Ravenwrath sat down and rested. She had been on her feet the entire day and was aching to the bone. She found little pleasure in dodging patrols from Sukketsushi for hours on end. Sukketsushi was the group whose members had slaughtered her treasured grandmother. They were a cartel dedicated to controlling the world through a recently discovered liquid. They call it Anima. Aria found out that the reason they killed her grandmother was because she knew how to extract Anima from the earth and would not tell them. Sukketsushi wanted to use this liquid's properties to control the world since it could enhance the physical attributes of the human body tenfold. They were planning in giving it to their loyal employees and adding a chemical to the Anima to keep any insurrections down. Aria gripped her necklace, which had been given to her by her grandmother just before she had died. She had requested that Aria keep it safe. It was a cord with a small vial containing viscous green liquid hanging from it. She snarled. They would not have it!

Aria Ravenwrath kneeled silently over a body. It was the body of her surrogate grandfather. He had been accepted by death and left Aria alone. And yet, she did not weep. He had been at the end of his life and had died doing what he loved: protecting his people from harm. Just as he protected her after her grandmother had died. The two never met, but she felt they would get along wonderfully in the next life. Her grandfather's people would never have to worry about his traitorous student again. He defended his people well, striking a blow against one of their greatest enemies even as life left his body. His student was a part of the same group that stole her grandmother away. Now, her grandfather had gotten his vengeance by taking out their second in command. And, as her old friend told her, he lives on in her heart and soul. She caressed the soil covering his body, fingertips ghosting over the loam. He could rest in peace. She looked to the sky, imagining him ascending to heaven. Aria rose up, the fronts of her shins aching from kneeling on stone. And she felt at peace.

Aria Ravenwrath sat down and rested. She had been on her feet all day and she ached to the bone. She had been training the entire week and she really needed a break, however short. She had scoured the world for her grandmother's notes on enhancing humans with Anima. She then used most of her vial of Anima on herself in the process of enhancement. Her recent training had been to control the ridiculous strength increase that came from the Anima running through her veins. She had bound all of her grandmother's notes into a book, and was studying from it. However, despite all she had done to stay under the radar, Sukketsushi found out about the book and started to hunt Aria down for the notes. She clutched the book to her chest. She snarled. They would not have it!

Aria Ravenwrath kneeled silently over a body. It was the body of he who had destroyed her life. He had been ensnared by death, and Aria rejoiced. His life had been cut short by one whose family had been destroyed. A little girl grew up and took revenge on the leader of a criminal cartel, alone, and without assistance of any sort. It is finished, her soul cried out in savage glee, vengeance is mine, and no more shall he harm an innocent! She brushed the wood next to the body, fingertips coming up red. And Aria broke her silence. She threw her head back and laughed; an awful, grating sound. It rang through the halls of the mansion, filled with a tangled blend of joy, gratification, and anguish. The laughter caused the few that managed to cling to life amidst the massacre that Aria brought in her wake to cringe. Aria brought herself up, the cuts and scrapes on the fronts of her shins stinging. And she felt avenged.

A little girl saw the **death** of her grandmother, and wept. She felt grief. A young lady watched over her grandfather's _body_ as he passed into the afterlife. She felt at peace. A woman took revenge for her loss on he who was responsible. She felt delight.

And she lost her **_innocence_**.


End file.
